SPACE

Objective 1: Monitoring of the Mafate micro-grid (from May 2019 to May 2021):
In this work, we propose to carry out a technical monitoring of the electrification project of the SAGES station located in Mafate “La Nouvelle”. The evaluation criteria will mainly be based on electrochemical and electrical performance criteria of the installation (KPI, Key Performance Indicators). The main objective will be to subsequently propose a control and diagnostic strategy based on fuel cells and alkaline electrolysers, but also to put forward a techno-economic strategy regarding the deployment of micro-grid systems across Réunion Island.
Results and deliverables:

• Industrial monitoring reports

Objective 2 — Development of a diagnostic strategy for low-pressure PEM electrolysers (May 2020 to May 2021):
The work carried out by Aubras et al. (IJHE 2017[1]) led to the development of a numerical and analytical model capable of characterising the operating ranges specific to low-pressure PEM electrolysers. This work was carried out in partnership with University College London (UCL) and Université Grenoble Alpes (LEPMI). Building on this physical approach, the next step is to develop a control strategy similar to the one developed in fuel-cell mode in the work of Lebreton et al.[2] and Damour et al.[3], this time focused on PEM electrolyser technology.
Deliverables and results:

• Journal article: Aubras, F., Damour, C., Benne, M., Bessafi, M., Grondin-Perez, B., Kadjo, A. J. J., & Deseure, J. (2021). A Non-Intrusive Signal-Based Fault Diagnosis Method for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer Using Empirical Mode Decomposition. Energies, 14(15), 4458.

• International conference: Aubras, F., Lin-Kwong-Chon, C., Damour, C., Benne, M., Bessafi, M., Grondin-Perez, B., Deseure, J., & Kadjo, J. J. A. (2020, November). Empirical Mode Decomposition Applied to Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer for Non-Intrusive Diagnosis. In ECS Meeting Abstracts (No. 53, p. 3762). IOP Publishing.

• National conference (FRH2): Farid Aubras, Cedric Damour, Michel Benne, Christophe Lin-Kwong-Chon, Jonathan Deseure, Amangoua J-J Kadjo, “Non-intrusive diagnostic method applied to proton exchange membrane electrolysers: Multi-scale entropic analysis”, FRH2 2021

[1] Aubras, F., Deseure, J., Kadjo, J. J., Dedigama, I., Majasan, J., Grondin-Perez, B., … & Brett, D. J. L. (2017). Two-dimensional model of low-pressure PEM electrolyser: Two-phase flow regime, electrochemical modelling and experimental validation. International journal of hydrogen energy, 42(42), 26203-26216.

[2] Lebreton, C., Benne, M., Damour, C., Yousfi-Steiner, N., Grondin-Perez, B., Hissel, D., & Chabriat, J. P. (2015). Fault Tolerant Control Strategy applied to PEMFC water management. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 40(33), 10636-10646.

[3] Damour, C., Benne, M., Grondin-Perez, B., Bessafi, M., Hissel, D., & Chabriat, J. P. (2015). Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell fault diagnosis based on empirical mode decomposition. Journal of Power Sources, 299, 596-603.

Objective 3 — Contribution to the understanding of PEM electrolysers under two-phase flow conditions (May 2019 to May 2020):
 
In their work, Dedigama et al.[1] visualised the mechanism of oxygen bubble formation using a spectroscopy technique. They were able to observe:

• A single-phase regime occurring at low current densities (before the water-splitting reaction takes place), characterised by a laminar Reynolds number and a uniform presence of water in the channels.
• A two-phase regime in which the water-splitting reaction produces a mixture of oxygen bubbles and water in the channel.

In particular, the experimental campaigns carried out in London with Prof. Dan Brett during Dr Aubras’ PhD highlighted that slug-flow regimes affect the electrochemical performance of the cell. This issue is all the more important given that the next stationary applications of low-pressure electrolyser cells are moving towards operating points at which obstruction regimes appear (very high current densities).
The literature review revealed that this phenomenon has received very little attention. One of the main objectives will therefore be to study the electrochemical behaviour (in collaboration with UCL London) of a PEM electrolyser cell during the onset of the slug-flow regime, by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and analytical modelling.



Deliverables:

• Journal article: Aubras, F., Rhandi, M., Deseure, J., Kadjo, A. J. J., Bessafi, M., Majasan, J., … & Chabriat, J. P. (2021). Dimensionless approach of a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: Advanced analytical modelling. Journal of Power Sources, 481, 228858.
• International conference: Rhandi, M., Aubras, F., Kadjo, A. J. J., Druart, F., Grondin-Perez, B., & Deseure, J. (2019, September). Dimensionless approach of a pressurized proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. In 12th European Congress of Chemical Engineering, ECCE12 (pp. pp-1903).

[1] Dedigama, I., Angeli, P., van Dijk, N., Millichamp, J., Tsaoulidis, D., Shearing, P. R., & Brett, D. J. (2014). Current density mapping and optical flow visualisation of a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyser. Journal of Power Sources, 265, 97-103.

Academic partners

LEPMI Laboratory (Grenoble)

UCL Laboratory (London)

Local stakeholders

The project is co-funded by Sidélec

EDF-SEI

Funding partners

The SPACE project is co-funded by the EU and the Réunion Region.

Pr Brigitte Perez

brigitte.grondin@univ-reunion.fr

Dr Jean Jacques Kadjo

amangoua.kadjo@univ-reunion.fr

Dr Farid Aubras

farid.aubras@univ-reunion.fr

Peer-reviewed journal publications:

1. Aubras, F., Rhandi, M., Deseure, J., Kadjo, A. J. J., Bessafi, M., Majasan, J., … & Chabriat, J. P. (2021). Dimensionless approach of a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: Advanced analytical modelling. Journal of Power Sources, 481, 228858.
2. Aubras, F., Damour, C., Benne, M., Bessafi, M., Grondin-Perez, B., Kadjo, A. J. J., & Deseure, J. (2021). A Non-Intrusive Signal-Based Fault Diagnosis Method for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer Using Empirical Mode Decomposition. Energies, 14(15), 4458.

National and international conferences:
 

1. Rhandi, M., Aubras, F., Kadjo, A. J. J., Druart, F., Grondin-Perez, B., & Deseure, J. (2019, September). Dimensionless approach of a pressurized proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. In 12th European Congress of Chemical Engineering, ECCE12(pp. pp-1903).
2. Aubras F Lin-Kwong-Chon, C., Damour, C., Benne, M., Bessafi, M., Grondin-Perez, B., Deseure, J., & Kadjo, J. J. A. (2020, November). Empirical Mode Decomposition Applied to Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer for Non-Intrusive Diagnosis. In ECS Meeting Abstracts(No. 53, p. 3762). IOP Publishing.
3. Non-intrusive diagnostic method applied to proton exchange membrane electrolysers: Multi-scale entropic analysis, GDR HYSPAC.